Turkey in final stage to select Russian S-400 as new air defense missile system for its armed forces 11704171

Posted On
Monday, 17 April 2017 08:22

Defense & Security News - Turkey

Turkey in final stage to select Russian S-400 as new air defense missile system for its armed forces

Turkey is at the final stage of choosing air defense missile systems for its Armed Forces, with the Russian-made S-400 (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) system being one of its options, Turkish National Defense Minister Fikri Isik said.

"Turkey urgently needs an air defense system. As far as the S-400 system is concerned, we are at the stage of making the final decision. The final decision will be made by the president and the prime minister," Turkey’s Anadolu news agency quoted Isik as saying.

Isik said in mid-March that Moscow and Ankara had made progress at the talks but "the sides have not reached the stage of signing the relevant agreement."·

The defense minister also said that Turkey had no plans to integrate the Russian-made S-400 systems into the NATO missile defense system, if they were purchased.

It was reported in November 2016 that Turkey and Russia were in talks on the purchase of the S-400 system.

In March 2017, Head of Russia’s state hi-tech corporation Rostec Sergei Chemezov said that Turkey had expressed a wish to obtain a loan from Russia to purchase weapons, including S-400 systems.

In March 2015, China confirmed an agreement to sell the HQ-9 air defense missile system to Turkey. It was chosen for the contract with Turkey in 2013. But the Chinese HQ-9 system’s export to Turkey failed to happen not only because it is incompatible with NATO’s air defense system deployed in Turkey but also the U.S. and NATO protested the export by citing the possibility for leaks of intelligence on NATO’s air defense system if the two air defense systems are operated together.

The S-400 Triumph SA-21 is a long range surface-to-air missile systems produced by the Russian Company Almaz-Antey. The S-400 Trumph is intended to engage, ECM, radar-picket, director area, reconnaissance, strategic and tactical aircraft, tactical and theatre ballistic missiles, medium-range ballistic missiles and other current and future air attack assets at a maximum range of 400 km, and a altitude of up to 30 km.

The S-400 Triumph uses the 9M96E and 9M96E2 missiles. The S-400 Triumph can also use the 48N6E missile of the S-300 PMU-1 system and 48N6E2 missiles of the S-300 PMU-2 Favorit system. The S-400 missile has a maximum range of 400 km and can hit all air targets wit high accuracy.

The S-400 Triumph system command and control assets and AD missiles can cooperate with various automated control systems and radar facilities. Along with the new AD missiles the system can uses the S-300 PMU AD missiles. The S-400 Triumph uses the new Engagement Radar System 92N2E Grave Stone carried by a new 8 x 8 MZKT-7930 vehicle, the battery acquisition radar 96L6 Cheese Board also carried by a 8x8 truck MZKT-7930. new 3D phased array acquisition radar is employed, the 91N6E (NATO Code Big Bird) derived from the 64N6E2, and the 40V6M/MD mast is an available option.